Reducing Wedding Planning Stress

During the course of planning a wedding we encounter many elements that we were not even certain existed before hand if we have never planned a wedding before. Usually those elements are in the details and they are rarely the same thing for each bride.

Usually they have to do with assumptions about the way the wedding industry does or should operate.

Whatever the particular stressor, the trick is to find a way to overcome the stress - separate from overcoming the problem! This is important. You might not always be able to get every element to go your way in your wedding planning, but you still have to find a way to get past the stress of each conflict.

The question is how? How do we deal with the stress of wedding planning when things don't go the way we hoped they would?

The answer is simple and profound. The man we know as Mark Anthony - the great Roman General and friend of Julius Caesar said, "The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts, therefore, guard accordingly; and take care that you entertain no notion unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature."

The writer of the biblical book of Philippians said something similar: " Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8 (New International Version)

Enjoying your wedding day is not about making certain that everything in her wedding plans goes just so - though we all hope that it will. Rather, a bride who takes the time to meditate on the good things in life will be able to relax and enjoy the celebration of her wedding a lot more than one who is focused on everything that has gone wrong.

I'm Dreamin...

Of untracked snow this Christmas morn... Family and loved ones nearby... Oh, and romantic engagement stories.

The holiday season, for whatever reason, is perhaps the most prolific engagement season of the year. And why not. There is something magical about this time of year as we come together to celebrate.

If you are the expectant bride what is there to do? He has already purchased the ring or he hasn't at this point, so what is there to do since you don't want to put any money down on plans until everything is official?

The answer? Dream. Prioritize. A good wedding is put together not by collecting all the traditional elements -that just leads to too much money spent on a wedding that is just like every other wedding in the bride's community - but by considering how to customize the wedding to fit their unique setting, values, and personality.

One idea that bears consideration: For most people their loved ones are scattered over a wide swath of the world. Consider scheduling the wedding in such a way that you can have a second, more intimate gathering after the reception or a day or two before the wedding. My brother-in-law did this. He rented a local coffee shop for both sides of the family to get together the day before the wedding for a special family Christmas celebration (He was married just before Christmas). It was a nice touch. Most likely he will never have both sides of the family together again and as such it made the entire event memorable.

Surprising Leap Day Advice for Brides

If you are just beginning the wedding planning process, as we discussed yesterday, February 29th is the perfect time to plan, to sketch out what her ideal wedding and wedding reception would look like.

But what about the bride who has been hard at her wedding planning for quite some time? What about the bride who already knows down to the specific elements of design how she wants her wedding day to look?

For those who fall into these categories, the best thing a bride (or couple) could do on Leap Day is to go do something physical to help burn off some steam and stress. Seriously.

• Go skiing - the snow is great this year pretty much all across the country.
• Go to an indoor pool and swim laps - then hang out in the sauna or hot tub.
• If the weather cooperates, go for a bike ride.
• Take a trip to the coast and walk on the beach.

The trick is to do pretty much anything physical - and make a point of not thinking about the wedding plans. The more an individual works their body, the more stress and tension will melt away and the more prepared they will be to take on the tasks ahead.

Besides, a day of physical activity will bring anyone that much closer to their weight loss goals so they will look like they hope to on their wedding day!

Making use of February 29th in this way will also benefit a couple in a manner that few people anticipate - especially if the couple spends the day in physical activity (such as skiing or beach combing) together. How? By taking a day away from the demands of life - such as wedding planning - and doing something together, as a couple!

That's right. You can build your marriage into something stronger than it might otherwise have been if you can set you wedding planning aside for one day and enjoy some strenuous activity together. Laugh. Run. Play. Build your marriage before the wedding.

You can worry about the toasting glasses on March 1st. Exciting Wedding Favors and Accessories will still be there for a couples at home shopping convenience. In the meantime, the best thing a bride who has been hard at work with her planning can do with the extra day that leap year provides it is to get out and do something physical that will leave them relaxed and refreshed.

Extra Time to Plan

I wish I could take credit for this boon to brides planning their wedding. I really do, but I can't. As much as I would have loved to have lobbied congress on behalf of brides everywhere, it wouldn't have done any good.

Still, every bride already engaged or at least already planning gets extra time to plan this year. I am talking, of course, of the extra day we get with leap year.

The question is how does a wise bride take full advantage of that day.

The answer depends on what she has been doing to this point:

If she has just begun the wedding planning process she should take the extra time as the ideal opportunity to sit and plan. Don't let the tyranny of the urgent get in your way. Instead:

• Go into seclusion
• Grab a favorite hot beverage
• Bring music that inspires creativity
• Bring sketch pad and pencil
• Sketch - don't worry about how good it looks - ideal wedding ceremony
• Sketch - don't worry about how good it looks - ideal wedding reception
• Relax
• Have fun with it.

The sketch is just for the bride. There is no need to show it to anyone else - it simply helps her decide what elements are really important to achieve the look she wants. Put another way, even if she doesn't like her drawings the exercise will help solidify the design concept in her mind. The end result, however, is that this exercise will help prevent her from spending money on decorations or design elements that don't help or even detract from the concept.

Tomorrow, The Surprising Tip for Brides Who Have Already Fully Planned Their Wedding

Traditions and Wedding Planning

Don't confuse wedding tradtions with wedding planning. Simply going out and collecting all the same items as everyone else has in their wedding is not the same as planning a wedding. It's following the crowd.

Sure, in many cases traditions are followed because they reflect the individual's heritage - either cultural or religious. That is fine. Not only is there nothing wrong with that, but embracing one's heritage is too be applauded.

However, most brides that ONLY follow tradition have not stopped to really consider what makes them unique - and everyone is special in some way.

The wedding planning process is the time that every couple has to take who they are and express it in a celebration of what they value. That includes their traditions, but it also includes the ways in which God has made each of them unique and special.

So instead of letting yourself fall into the trap of settling for a cookie cutter wedding, take a day, grab your favorite hot drink and a note pad, consider what makes you unique and what is important to you as a couple. After you do, take a few more minutes and sketch out a few ideas for how you can make your wedding personal.

By the way, it might help to scan our fun wedding ideas directory to help get the creative juices flowing.

Avoid Adding Stress to Your Wedding Planning

The strain of planning the biggest celebration of one's life is stress enough. There is no need to add stress to the wedding planning process. Yet that is exactly what numerous brides do every year.

How?

They order their wedding dress one or two sizes too small in the expectation that they will loose weight in time for the wedding.

Unfortunately, it rarely works.

Why?

First, the stress of wedding planning. We all know that during times of stress many people do not tend to be successful loosing weight and some even gain weight.

Second, the parties. The engagement period is like the time between Thanksgiving and New Years. Especially the final four months are a time of concentrated celebration. And celebration means sweets and rich foods. And that is not even taking into account the fact that the bride will need to do some cake tasting along the way when she chooses her wedding cake!

Third, the discipline. Most of us have been at our present weight for a while. If a bride has not been able to loose weight before the wedding when their schedule was not nearly as demanding then it is not reasonable to believe that she will be able to be disciplined when her schedule is crazy is and she does not have the time to cook properly and workout regularly.

Finally, the risk. What happens when that custom made dress comes back and it does not fit? A wedding dress can usually be taken in, but rarely can it be taken out. If a bride assumes that she can loose weight and fails she might be scrambling in the final days before the wedding to find a dress that does fit - even if it is not the dress of her dreams.

All is Not Lost

So what should a bride do that has already ordered a dress on the assumption that she will loose weight?

• Don't give up. Weight loss can be achieved during the wedding planning process. It is just harder.
• Look into a weight loss plan that is specifically geared for the needs of women. Let's face it. Men and women have different bodies (thankfully!) so their weight loss needs are significantly different.
• Control the stress through good planning. That is to say, a bride should take the time to sit down and figure out exact what look she is trying to achieve and what she will need to accomplish that look. This approach will avoid the mistake of racing around wasting time gathering elements that a bride thinks she needs, but really just gets in the way of her goals. As they say, sometimes less is more.

The wedding planning period of a bride's life should be a wonderful experience. But with so much to do the best plan is to take time to plan and decide what is really most important to the couple regardless of whether we are talking about reception decor or the bride's weight loss.

Wedding Reception Focus

Someone asked why such a focus on wedding receptions instead of talking about the ceremony as well. The reason is simple. Every tradition tends to have very specific requirements for the formal portion of a wedding. Unless you are one that has cast off most traditions (no one manages to shed them all) and are planning to get married dressed as Princess Leah or a pair of Elves for the most part the ceremony itself is pretty well prescribed either by traditions or religious significance.

It is not our place to be suggesting anyone cast off their traditions as that would indicate casting off the things that define their lives.

The reception, however, has many less prescriptions. Indeed, most traditions in North America allow great flexibility in the celebration. It's your opportunity on your wedding day to make your celebration personal.

The problem is, that the prescribed nature of the ceremony makes it easy to fall into the trap of trying to gather the items you need for your wedding reception without taking a moment to plan it - and that is the recipe for either a ho hum wedding reception or a lot of wasted money.

If, on the other hand, you take a few minutes to plan your beach wedding, winter wedding, or any wedding decor in between you can often plan your purchases so that your celebration will reflect your personality and stretch your budget.

That is why we focus primarily (not totally, see my article on adding Grand Entrances for one example of a focus on the ceremony) on wedding receptions when we talk about wedding planning.

A Fun Tool to Save You a Ton of Wedding Planning Time

It really is an incredibly useful tool. By using this one single tool you will find your self more prepared to plan each step of your wedding as the time comes.

What is this tool?

Scrap booking!

You read that right. Create a scrapbook of wedding ideas from pictures that you find... wherever you find them.

• If you attend a wedding and see something you like, take a snapshot of it, then print the picture out when you get home and put it in your wedding planning scrapbook.
• When you see that perfect piece of crystal jewelry for your wedding cake, print out a picture and put it in your scrapbook to show your pastry chef so they can incorporate it into the design of the cake.
• If you see a picture of a wedding dress in a magazine, get a copy and put it in your scrapbook.
• If you find a picture of a bouquet on the Internet print it out and put it in your scrapbook.
• The same can be said for your wedding footwear or unity candles.

That way when you get to time to plan any particular aspect of your wedding you aren't wasting time looking for that picture of... and your wedding professional will actually be able to see exactly what you have in mind. It saves a lot of time and difficulty. And it's fun too!

Now you have an excuse to play! Have fun.

Ten Wedding Disaster Prevention Tips: Part 2

Today’s wedding day disaster prevention tip has to do with you and how you relate to the people around you. Simply put it is this: Don't give other people power over your wedding. The wedding celebration is something that you and your husband will have to look back on for years as 'your big day'. To everyone else, it is a celebration. Letting anyone other than yourself and your husband-to-be dictate what your wedding day will look like is a sure fire way to make your wedding day a total disaster.

In numerous societies around the world the wedding is as much a rite of passage as it is a celebration. If you have not done so already take advantage of this opportunity to establish your independence and start with the wedding planning process. To do otherwise is to invite a wedding day disaster – if only because your memories will be of a celebration that didn’t have your fingerprints on it. But how do you prevent giving others too much power over your wedding?

The Problems Leading to Such Wedding Day Disasters:

Relatives that hold your wedding for ransom: Far too often the individual footing the bill tries to use the purse strings as a method of controlling your celebration. It is your celebration. If someone is only willing to give you the money as long as you will plan it their way, do not take the money. You would be better off with a simple ceremony in a nice dress and suit standing on the shore of a local lake followed by a campfire with a handful of friends than to give in to anyone that wants to hold your wedding ransom.

The Urge to be a People Pleaser: Far too often a young couple will subjugate their desires to please others. Often it is an older sister who is pressuring the bride to include a specific element such as a particular style of bridesmaids’ dresses. Often well intentioned mothers try to guide their daughters based on what florists & pastry chefs were capable of twenty some years earlier. But sisters and mothers are not the only offenders. Girlfriends are sometimes guilty of trying to subconsciously create or test out their own wedding ideas on your wedding.

Solution: Preventing Wedding Day Disasters

Regardless of the reason for the pressure, most young couples feel pressure to build their wedding celebration in a way that is not of their own choosing. Resist the urge to give in. It does not matter how well intentioned the individual is or is not. You need to plan your wedding in a manner that is, (1) in keeping with who you are, and (2) in keeping with the money (without strings) that you have to spend.

• Dream with Your Husband-To-Be: Do a little dreaming. Decide what you would like.
  
• Investigate the Cost of Your Dream Wedding: Then do some investigation to find out how much each wedding professional will cost as well as the total cost of the wedding. You don't want your wedding to be a disaster simply because you didn't budget well.
  
• Prioritize: If you do not have an unlimited budget (and who of us do?) then decide what elements are the most important and which are the least important. Then make your purchases. Spend your money on the dress, if that is most important, and choose an inexpensive venue or do away with the reception dinner all together, or the band, or the d.j., or the cake, or the…
  
  Yes, the interpersonal aspects can get messy. There is no denying that. And it is easy to fear that your refusal to give into pressure will lead to a wedding day disaster of a pushy loved one giving you the cold shoulder or worse on your big day. But the more likely scenario is that giving in invites just such a disaster in terms of a marred wedding memory when just a mature attitude and a little bit of planning are all you really need to both get the wedding you want and get most of the pressure off your back.

The Key to Planning Your Big Day

What is the key to planning your big day? Is it finding the perfect wedding dress? Perhaps it is scoring the top wedding photographer in town at discount prices. Or maybe it would be finding a pastry chef skilled enough to create that wedding cake that you have been dreaming of for years. Actually, while all of those things can be important elements in the planning of your big day none of them are the key.

Most will tell you the key is organization. But most are wrong. When it comes to wedding planning, organization is the key to keeping a full head of hair. It is essential, but it is not the key to wedding planning.

Others say that the key to planning your big day is dreaming. Once again, those who advocate for dreaming as the single most important aspect in planning a nuptial celebration have grabbed onto an extremely important element in wedding planning. Without taking the time to dream and envision what your wedding might look like there is no way that you could ever come up with a plan to build your wedding day around.

Actually, the key to planning your big day is ...

Continue reading "The Key to Planning Your Big Day"

Ron Paul Themed Wedding?

As I have been recovering from the craziness of 7/7/07 I have taken the time to read a little more than I often afford myself. And in the course of my reading yesterday I ran across an article about a couple who recently requested, in lieu of wedding gifts, donations to the Ron Paul Presidential campaign. At first I, like so many other people, laughed. It was so different that it took me off guard and I scoffed.

But as I thought about their request to theme their wedding in at least this one small way around the Ron Paul candidacy throughout the day I had to say, "Why Not?"

Why? A wedding celebration should be just that. A celebration of your commitment to each other.

Yours.

Not annonymous bride & groom number 8456-26a.

Your wedding celebration should reflect you - both of you. If you are really into politics, like this couple who support Ron Paul, there is no reason why your wedding shouldn't reflect that (though I would caution that when it comes to politics you might want to provide a less controversial option for your guests who can't or don't support your politics but want to support you. Have give them an option of feeding children in a third world country through an organization such as World Vision).

If you are outdoors people who spend more time skiing (water or snow) than in a ballroom, doesn't it make sense to hold a wedding celebration that reflects that love in some way?

Conversely, if you are one who has spent your entire life avoiding church and anything having to do with church, does it make sense to suddenly run to your local church and plan a traditional religious wedding? If your religious beliefs are a big part of your life or if you are truly interested in opening that door of your life as you begin this new chapter of your life, go ahead, but if not don't do it just because, 'that's how it's done.'

That's silly - and a waste of money.

The point is, make your wedding celebration uniquely yours with what you are into now.

Yes, there may come a day when you will look back and cringe. That couple asking for donations to Ron Paul's campaign might someday support another candidate, or decide that politics are not the answer they once thought they were - but who cares. They celebrated using who they are and that's what counts.

Remember, celebrating a wedding is all about celebrating with your group of friends - your human and unique group of friends. To do anything else is to set yourself up to ruin your own wedding.

Think of it this way. You wouldn't go into an icecream store and order vanilla because you might someday decide that you don't like chocolate with fudge and chocolate covered peanuts swirled with caramel would you? Of course not. You'd order the style that appeals to you at that season of your life.

If you are into snow and the winter season in general, have a winter wedding. You can always hop a plane toward the sun and sand later on.

Why would you do any less when you plan your wedding day?

Help for Your Groom

I hope this finds you doing well on your wedding planning!

I thought I'd tell you about one thing today that just might keep a lot of hair in your head as your big day approaches.

You see, as we've discussed before, weddings are generally considered to be a woman's world. Right or wrong, this presents a problem... The problem is that weddings demand a groom - and in most cases that means a man.

If the wedding is a woman's world (whether we like it or not - and I don't) then your man is going to need some help to know not only how to survive, but to thrive.

Fortunately you can help him and yourself by getting your groom a book that prepares him to graciously meet the demands of the wedding day. This book is essentially a leather bound 'cheat sheet' to help him be the courteous groom you've always dreamed of throughout the wedding planning process and especially on the big day.

It's called, "The Grooms Guide," by Marguerita Smolen and it's available now on the wedding essentials page of our website.

Wedding Blunders Are Not a Laughing Matter

We have all seen them. Some are big and some are smaller. But ultimately it does not matter if the wedding blunders are big or small. In the final analysis those are the elements or events that cause couples to squirm at the memory of their wedding day. Those are the events we want to avoid as much as possible. Some are as easy to avoid as showing a little self control while you are celebrating like controlling how much you drink. Other wedding blunders are a factor of how well you have thought your big day through.

Wedding Blunder # 1: Assuming that Your Big Day is About You

Yes, you are celebrating your wedding day, but that does not make you queen for the day. Your friends and relatives are there to celebrate you new commitment with you. And while they often will welcome the chance to help you out and even donate some hard work no one likes to be taken advantage of or taken for granted. Likewise your guests have come, often from great distances, to celebrate with you. Is it fair to make them go away for an hour or more while you have your pictures taken? For your out of town guests this is wasted time with nothing to do.

Wedding Blunder # 2: Doing anything because, "That is How Weddings Are Done"

I can’t tell you how many weddings I have been involved in where the only real difference between one and the next were the faces involved. Yet, in a large number of those weddings I had worked with the young couple enough to know that they were not just like the other couples. They were distinct personalities, but for some reason they chose to put together weddings that were not. Your wedding is a commitment to a new life together as unique individuals and your wedding should reflect that individuality while still maintaining the serious nature of the vows you are exchanging. To do anything less is to short change yourself.

Wedding Blunder # 3: Wasting Money

Weddings are an expensive proposition. We all know that. Every celebration has to have a place to celebrate, but not every wedding has to spend a ton on every element. For an individual with a ... continue with Wedding Blunders that are Not a Laughing Matter

Wedding Planning Consultants: Protection from Hair Loss

Is it really necessary to hire a wedding planning consultant? Many people have successfully planned and implemented their weddings on their own, but many of these same people probably would not have done all the planning themselves if they had it to do over again. Planning a wedding is a huge task. We all know that, but most of us don’t really know how massive the task is until we are facing the task ourselves. That’s where a wedding planning consultant comes in.

Indeed, when a bride first begins to think of wedding planning, the process may seem quite straightforward, but it’s when you really begin to get into the meat of it that you see how many little details there really are. Even a fairly small and intimate wedding can be overwhelming. There is everything from invitations, caterers, and wedding cake design to more complicated issues if you are planning a theme wedding. But an experienced wedding planning consultant is like a conductor at a symphony. They know from experience just what to put where and have proved over the years to have the temperament to be able to juggle all the details without going insane.

Moreover, a wedding planning consultant can help with many aspects of a wedding that you may never have even thought of. They can create the perfect wedding that you have always imagined, and at the same time they know enough about how the wedding industry works to give you suggestions that can help keep the cost at a minimum.

With a theme wedding it may be even more important to hire a consultant because all the rules change. We’ve all been to dozens of weddings that looked pretty much the same to know what the basic elements are, but planning a themed wedding changes the elements of a wedding and in doing so... more

Get Your Groom Involved

Virtually every bride in North America has the same problem. Their groom seems reluctant to get involved in the process of planning the wedding. There are many theories about why grooms tend to shy away from the wedding planning arena, and no doubt many of them have merit. But the real question at hand is what do we do about it? Is it possible to get your groom active in the wedding planning process?

Actually, the answer is yes - and in many cases it's an easy fix. Often not only can you get them involved in your wedding plans but you can get them to gladly take over many of the tasks that take up so much of your time. We're talking about things like taking charge of the responsibility to communicate all the important details about your wedding to your wedding guests as your plans evolve. Likewise, youmight be surprise how much they'll be willing to take over responsibilities like haring your love story through pictures, music, and video. Things like managing your RSVP's.

Seriously.

By investing in a wedding website you can give him something to do that he will enjoy doing in the wedding planning process because it caters to his strengths and interests. After all, boys do tend to love their toys – and the more high tech the better in most cases.

But how can a wedding website help the planning process? And ultimately, what jobs from your massive list might you be able to shed?

Instant Communication with Your Guests

Without a wedding website a major change in your plans after you invitation went out means a second mailing. That can cost a lot of money. A website devoted to your wedding plans can save you time and hassle because it provides a centralized place that anyone with access to the Internet can go to find your wedding information. That means that you can be rid of the worries about making sure that your cousin John or Aunt Debbie has the date and time of your wedding. This is because once they have the web address and password for your wedding website they can check on the latest changes whenever they want to so now, instead of a second formal mailing a simple email reminder to check the website for the latest information is all that is needed.

Instant Access to Your Planner

Imagine being able to access your wedding planner anytime of the day and anywhere you can get an Internet connection. Wouldn't that be useful?

• Wouldn't it be helpful to be able to pull up a list of the people that have RSVP'd when you are at your caterer office?
• Wouldn't it be nice to pull up a copy of your facility agreement's list of do's and don'ts while you are at your florist?
• Wouldn't... more

How Do Wedding Traditions Fit With Good Wedding Planning?

Wedding fun often means looking for new and inventive ways of doing our wedding ceremony - but that is not the definition of creating a fun and meaningful wedding. Rather, if I were to create such a definition it would go something like this:

Good wedding planning means thinking carefully about every detail in the wedding and using what best reflects you as a couple and your values.

That's it. Simple and succinct. Think about everything and use that which reflects you. Don't be tied to, "I have to... because that's the way it's done."

That sounds like a rejection of wedding traditions. But it's not. Not by a long shot. Wedding traditions have a huge place in the modern wedding.

Everything that we now consider wedding tradition grew out of either need or symbolism and either can now have a real and meaningful symbolic role in a modern wedding ceremony.

For example, the positioning of the bride on the left hand side of the groom grew from ancient Anglo-Saxon days when it was common for opposing factions to attempt to kidnap the bride. Placing her on the grooms left hand side left his sword hand free to protect her.

By the way, this is also where the tradition of the Best Man came from - as it was originally the grooms most trusted ally who would stand beside him in defense of the bride.

On the surface it's easy to look at that and dismiss it as not relevant to today's wedding practice. After all, not many brides today are kidnapped on their wedding day and most grooms do not wear a sword - nor would it do much good against today's weapons.

But... Do you feel safe in his company? Do you want the whole world to know that you trust this man with your life? Then perhaps you should stand on his left side. Perhaps you even want to have some fun with the idea and stage an (obviously fake) kidnapping attempt. Maybe not. But at least you will know why you are standing where you are and that will make the ceremony more meaningful to both of you.

Check out world wedding traditions. It's interesting reading. You'll be amazed by the similarities in the wedding traditions and marriage customs of people from all over the world.

At the same time each nationality of people seems to have their own little way to go about the union of a man and woman too. The one thing that all wedding ceremonies seem to have in common is the hope of a productive and happy union between the wedding couple. Wedding traditions developed as signs of this hope for ultimate happiness for the new couple.

Wedding Planning Starts with the Details

What does this scene have to do with wedding planning?

Everything!

And nothing.

You see, good wedding planning starts a long time before he pops the question. It starts with your travel photo's and memories. It starts with your experience.

Mostly it starts with you being willing to look outside the normal venue's for your wedding location. This photo, is from my personal vacation photo book. As far as I know not one wedding has ever been held on this site - what a pity. I don't even know if the owners would allow a wedding. Still, it could be the perfect spot for the right wedding party. Maybe not yours, but this location holds an incredible amount of potential!

Oh the things that could be done in a setting like this. Imagine etherial music wafting from hidden speakers as this place is transformed (poor choice of words) into a setting for a wedding in paradise as the morning sunlight shines down on the wedding party. Imagine, a night time wedding celebration with strings of white lights. Imagine a western style wedding. The list goes on.

The point isn't that this is the spot for your wedding. The point is that good wedding planning starts with thinking every element of your wedding through to see how it lends to make your wedding a reflection of you.

Welcome

Don't you just love weddings? All the style, the romance, the elegance, and the fun. If you just didn't have to go through all of the wedding planning to get there... actually, the wedding planning is worth all the effort if you do it right. If you do it wrong then it's just work to put a party together. If you do it right, however, your imagination can be soaring all while you are finding fun and creative ways to turn a run of the mill party into a magical wedding celebration.

Stick around. We will explore wedding ideas of all kinds. Some will be inexpensive, practical possibilities that anyone can employ to add that magic to their wedding day. Others, yes, will be expensive options that most of us can't fully implement - but the value of those ideas are that they might just inspire an idea that will work in your unique situation. +

And that doesn't mean that we will only cover theme ideas. That's a big part, but a lot of pulling a theme together is in the details - otherwise a fairytale princess wedding ends up only being that because the bride is wearing a tiera and they played the theme from "Sleeping Beauty." We've all been to those weddings. The trick is to find ways to invest the money you are already going to spend - and invest it in items that move your theme along and achieve what you originally wanted from them. This might mean your wedding location choice. It might mean your choice of favors, or centerpieces, or accessories for your bridal party.

One thing is certain. There is little more fun than dancing among the dreams and watching as one or two of them settle into our own wedding plans!

If you are in a hurry, of course you can always go to my website at http://www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com and look around. We are always adding more fun and practical ways to help you plan and develop your wedding theme because there is no reason that the wedding of two individuals should come in a cookie cutter ceremony (unless that's your theme). ;)